James maze k



N PETERS, PHOTO-LITNOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D C

@uitrit tetes @anni @fge JAMES MAZE KILNER. OF CHESTER, ENGLAND Letters Patent No. 80,075, dated July-21, 1868; patented z'n England, April 4, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOB. TOWING VESSELS.

-tlgt .rlgshule numb tu im tlgtte Edius ntmt tra mating putt nt tige tame.

TO ALL TO W'HOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, .IA-MES MAZE KILNEP., of 3 Saltney Road, Chester, England, clerk, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented vor discovered new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Towing Ships or Vessels and I, the said JAMES. MAZE KILNER, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention,

and in what manner the same is to beperformed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the -following statement thereof; that is to say- The object of this invention is -to supply apparatus,-by means of which chains may be readily applied for the purposes of towing, and it is hoped thereby to avert the heavy wear and tear, and frequent casualties to life and limb, and valuable ships, incidental to overall ropc towing at sea.

My invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, of whichn- `Figure ll'is a deck plan, and

Figure 2 a vertical section of a vessel with such invention appliedthereto.

Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams, exhibitingthe mode of applying a towing-chain'toa tug or towing-vessel, and one o1 two vessels to be towed thereby. l

Figure 5 is a top view of the Cleaver-trunk.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section ofthe cleaver, orone-hlf of it.

Figure 7 is a view of the 'grab-link, to be hereinafterdescribed,

In carrying outiny invention, I have what I term a clearer-trunk extending' down through the vessel, from .its upper deck to and through its bottom, as shown at A in g. 2, which isa contracted lengthwise section of a vessel's hull. y This trunk receives a tube or cleaver, B, whichin horizontal section is formed as represented, it being sharp in directions lengthwise of the hull, iso as to cleave and pass through the water easily when the vessel isin4 motion either forward or backward. This cleaver I suspend within the trunk by means of ropes a a,

led around sheaves so as to enable the cleaver to be depressed, so as to project below the keel of the vessel, or drawn up within the trunk, as occasion may require.

The towing-chain, after being fixed to a windlass or some other proper object'on the deck, is to pass over a saddle or guide, (see iig. 5,) and thence down the trunk and, the cleaver, and thence to the stern of the tug-vessel, where one of itslinks is to be hitched upon the tripping-hook b of the radial arm c, of a crane, C, arranged near the stern ofthe vessel, and so as to project above the dec-k in manner as represented. The arm c rests on a curved rail, d, supported hy a counter-stein, e. l l

, In fig. 6, the Cleaver is shown in semi-section, that is, half of it, as formed with vertical grooves, which, when the two halves are putitogether, form vertical o-r tubular channels through the cleaver.

The'externalpassages are to receive stay-chains m m., which, by being carried down through the cleaver, and through tub-es fj' going down through the hull, may be employed to support the cleaver while being drawn through the water. v

In iigs. 3 and' 4, the'clea'vers are represented as projecting below the keels of the vessels, and as having stay and tow-chains applied 'to them. The tow-chains m are submerged or passed from the 'tug into the sea, and thrown underneath .the hull of the vessel to be towed, and thence up through the cle-aver thereof'.

Where two vessels are to be towed, the chain may pass down the Cleaver ot' one, to and up through that of the other. n

Fig. 3 illustrates a frigate or vessel 4towing a monitor, with the tow-.chains submerged, and going through the cleavers of the two vessels.

Fig. 4 denotes Vtwo vessels in tow of a steamer, with the tow-chains submerged.

The tripping-hook of, theA crane, formed as shown in the drawings, is -hinged to the arm of the crane so as to be capable of being turned up erover, into the position represented in g. 2 by dottedlines, the same being in order to discharge the. towing-chain from the hook when it may be desirable to take in the chain.

.the cleaver may bc operated as described.

While supporting the chain while a vessel is being towed thereby, thee-haul: of the tripping-hook is to be held down to the arm ofthe crane by a pin passed through the arm and the shank.

The crane is free to turn laterally on the curved or quadrant-rail by whichvits arm is supported, andthuwhile the vessel is being towed by a. chain hitched ou. the crane-hook, the towing-vessel will be freefto move sideways more or less under the arm of the crane.

What is'terruled the grab-link is shown in iig. 7. One ol' these links may be xed to a vessel near the keel and forefoot, the chain that goes out of the hawsc-hole being passed through the said grab-link.- The grab-linkmay be so used when there is nocleaver to the vessel, and when so etnployed, the grab-linkis designed to bring the strain of the draught at or near the keel, rather than at the hawse-hole. This arrangement of the grablink is shown in fig. 2.

The tow-chain is passed from the slipl1ook above the tai'rail`and quadrant4 rail of the tug-vessel to the Cleaver of the towed vessel, through one of. the perforations or alleys of whichthe chain is drawn up to the deck, and there attached tp a windlass orvcapstan, or, if preferred, itsfinal link may be supported by the T- trigger, and thence slipped whenever needed.

The said trigger, shown at t in Iig. 5, consists of a shaft extended, across the mouth ot' the cleaver-trunk', and having an arm projecting' laterally. This arm goes through the terminal link of the tow-chain, and rests on a 'oa-r, s, whicl1, on being pulled from underneath the arm, will cause the discharge-of the tow-chain from the a1-ni.

The i cleaverl when greatly protruded, maybe supported by chains passed up alleys placed at any convenient position between the gal-board and bilge-streaks; the structure of thel cleaver", however, may be of sufcicnt lstrength to require no stay-chains.

The cleaver may `be used by heavy vessels when towing; its tendency, however, is to'lift the screw of an ordinary tug, while, on the other hand, the qnadrantrail helps to keep it submerged.

When the'vtowed vesselis not furnished with a cleaver, alow point of traction may be attained, as shown in drawing, iig. 2, where the cable used for towing is frapped dowabeneath the `forefoot by the grab-link, supposed to be shaclrled to a chain passed from the deck at a point broad on the port bow.

The grab-link may also be attached to a messenger passed through a hawse-hole beneath the quadrantrail; thus the end of the tow-chain may be drawn from the towed to the tug vessel. rlhe grab-link adheres to the-chain about a fathom from its nal link, and supports its weight until the latter is adjustedito the slip-hook on bcardthe tug.

It should be observed that the grab-link may be made to grab a chain at any accessible point, whence it maybe as readily detached by lifting its narrow end by a tripping-line or boat-hook. In this way itin/ay be drawn up tothe slip-hook after it has performed its purpose of hauling the chain up to the stern, while itis evident a. messengerrope bent on in the usual way could not be conveniently detached from the chain, as the bend would be too`fa1"astern of' the vessel toadniit of its being reached by hand, hence the grab-link, or some other appliance of equal utility, becomes a necessary appendage of the quadrant-rail. Further, the grab-link may also be used for adjusting a spring, extended from the broadside to the 'tow-chain, on those rare occasions when it is 'necessary to tow at a greater angle than the quadrant-rail will permit. p

' In igs. l and 2, the grab-link is exhibited, also, as suspended by a line from'tlicstern of a vessel, The tow-chain is to go through the grab-link, which, with its line, will serve to draw ytheclnain up to the slip-hook.

The Cleaver serves to keep the-tow-chain free from contact with the keelrand lower parto't` the hull ot' a. vessel, while she may be pitching or rolling when at sea. Thus the cleaver operates to prevent damage to thc sheathing crhull of a vessel, and is advantageous in other respects.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is as follows:

1.I claim the combination and arrangement of the clearer-,and its trunkwith the hull of a desscl, so that 2. I also claim `the cleaver, constructed as represented in iig. 6, and ashereinbeforc described'.

3. Ialso claim the arrangement of the tow-'chain, viz, so as to `befastened to a vesselnear or below its keel, as set forth. l

' l 4. I also claim the combination and arrangement oi the tow-chain and the cleaver of a vessel to be towed, such chain being passed through and out of the clearer, as set forth. J.'M. KILNER,

Glicqla-a of Chester Castle. Witnesses:

H. WILDIING, United States Vz'ce-Uon-sul, Liverpool. CEAS. H. DENNEL-Cle'rk United States C'ansulate; Liverpool. 

